Hamlin ‘next best in line’ behind Briscoe’s fuel win

Denny Hamlin should have been in the catbird seat Sunday at Pocono Raceway, but he wound up the best of the rest.

Hamlin could do nothing with Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe in the final 30 laps of Sunday’s race despite Briscoe being in a fuel-saving mode. The final stint of the race saw the two drivers line up on the front row for the restart, but Briscoe was two or three laps short when the run began, having left his pit stall before the team finished fueling his car.

It appeared to be a cat-and-mouse game when the race restarted on lap 130. Briscoe had to manage the gap while not overdriving. Hamlin, continuously updated on the fuel situation before crew chief Chris Gayle admitted he wasn’t sure Briscoe was going to run out, did his best to mount a challenge or apply enough pressure to force Briscoe’s hand.

“It was the best kind of option,” Hamlin said of his position. “It definitely was going to be really difficult. The key moment was when the [No.] 19 and three or four others pitted, and then that caution came out, and it leaped them in front of us. At that point, we knew it was going to be really hard to pass those guys back on the racetrack.

“So, the team did a great job. (We were) next best in line there of our strategy, it just didn’t work out.”

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The final caution, with 36 laps to go, changed the dynamic of the race as it occurred during the middle of green flag pit stops. Briscoe and Hamlin were among those who had already made the final stops and recycled back to the front of the field.

Hamlin started from the pole and led 32 laps. He also won the first stage.

In the last three races, Hamlin has finished no worse than third.

“We’re really strong,” he said. “Not showing up with any weakness right now. I’m really proud of the effort we put forth and just love to get more wins. But still, it was a good overall solid day for us, and now we move on to the next series of races.”